The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-31
NATURES WONDERS
Remarkable Caves Discovered in Locksut
Mountain, Tennessee.
Wonderful stalagmitss, staIaetites, Crys-
tails and Other FOrmatioos-A Lake
Over Two Acres In Extent.


ga out of the eastern base of Lookout
Mountain stream OF water pours into the
valley in steady volume foot in width
and six inches deep. The flowing
of the water as it comes out OF the
rocky wall il accompanied by constant
current of cold air, and for this cause the
natives have named 1T Blowing Spring.
Some time ago, the Grant brothers aud
McGrath, who own the surrounding noun
tain side and valley land, conceived the
idea that the spring had its source in i'm
mense caverns, with which Indian legends
say the interior of Lookout Mountain Is
honeycombed. short time ago they Of
fered reward Of $50 to any one who
would plore these hidden caves. LAST
Saturday a mountaineer named Alex.
Smith appeared at the office OF Grant
Brothers and claimed the reward. He
brought several stalagmites and stalactites
of remarkable size and beauty. and OF
many curious shapes, together with small
crystals and fragments OF rock which wera
scanned with what appeared to be silver,
lead and copper.
The Grant Brothers, who are largely in
terested in mining lands in Tennessee and
Alabama, told the mountaineer they would
give him the promised $50 and another
half hundred on top of it if he would
verify his find by taking them over the
ground of his explorations.
VISIT TO THE CAVE.
Accordingly q party. consisting of NJ.
and III. W. Grsnt, j. w. McCrath, s. b
Logan, the successful gas well borer, and
representatives of the daily papsrs took
carriages and drove out to Blowing Spring
this morning at O'Clock After break
fasting at a farm house, dressing them
selves IN heavy flannel clothing and pro-
viding themselves with miners lamps,
the party, under the leader
ship OF Smith, began their tortuous
entrance to the cave. The explorers had to
take the water from the start, crawling
along in the bed of anarrow stream on
their hands and knees and often doing
the snake act on their stomachs for hua.
dreds OF feet at a time. When they left
the open air the temperature stood at S0o,
and the water IN the cavity was 400. This
mode OF progression was kept up for more
than 30 hour, when cavity on the right OF
the stream was entered, and the party pro-
ceeded in half bent attitude along
winding passage hoored with sand, and ob.
s'1ucted by powders and irregular blocks
OF rotten limestone. unit they reached
chamber of an oval shape fifty feet wide
and seventy five feet in length, and about
twenty five feet high.
Here the first stalagmites and stslsctites
OF any considerable size were found. Many
of the former rose to hight OF ten feet and
the latter hung down from the ceiling al
most low enough to touch the heads of the
wondtT-struck beholders. S)me time was
spent in examining the outer edges OF this
subterTsDean apartme t. Several pieces Of
rock were knocked off with small hammer
from the jutting lodges on one side OF the
cave, and under the lam plight showed IN
mistskable evidence of the preseace Of
either silver or lead ore.
FURTHER EXPLORATIONS.
Following their guide the mea left this
chamber, and after clambeai1g up a long,
steep passage which led in the direction of
the top Of Lookout Mountain for more
than half an hour, descended for distance
cf nearly 100 yards, leaping like mountain
goats from rock to rock and then entered
long gallery, which run alongside a
stream for nearly half a mile This gal
lery had others opening into it at right
angles and irregular intervals, and its
walls were crusted with myriads of tiny
crystals that gllstened like diamonds in
the light OF the lamps. A sudden turn in
the tortuoVs passage brought the party
into large hall over two acres in
extent. Everyone stood rooted to the
ground with establishment. In the middle
of this immense opening glittered the crys-
tai waters of lake, and from its center
rose miniature island, from whose bosom,
upljfted to height of nearly fifteen feet,
rose tall, Symmetrical stslagimite, that
bore a perfect resemblance TO a Gothic
tower, white at the top and of yello wish
tint at the base. Urmsrets, bastions aud
terraces were as accurately traced in its
outlire as If they had been fashioned by
The band OF human architect. This
large central tower was surrounded By
Others smaller in size and height, and OF
divers shapes and colors, but all bearing
singular resemblance to architectural
forms.
MORE WONDERS.
The floor of the cave surrounding the
lake was as smooth as the glass and of
blackish- gray hue, like the marble formed
IN the white oaks region in Southern New
Mexico. 1t WIS covered with Dright pe5-
bles OF many colors and varying in dimsn-
sions fIOm the size OF pins head to that
OF q walnut. Many of these were gathered
by the exploring party, and are pronounc-
ed to be opals. Some of the specimens
collected are said to be larger and more
davless than those found in the neighbor-
hood of chihuahua.
The ceiling Of this vast underground
cavern, which was dome-shaped and forty
feet above the miniature lake, was thick
with pendant stalsctites, arranged as If
nature in placing them there had tried her
hand at lincrusta work On benches of
rock, rising like terraces on the eastern
side Of this apartment. were ranged huge
stalsctites, grotesqueites, bearing the
shapes Of recumbent animals. Among
these latter MIR. McCrath found and de-
tachfd from its fastenings one that looked
like a petrifed turtle.
THE FIKNY TRIBE missing.
No fish were found in the lake, but on
one side of it were seen the footprints of
raccooD and bear. A crawling brook came
out Of one side of the rocky wall and fed
the lake with its waters.
A carful examination showed that the
lake had no outlet There is but one past
sage leading into this immense cavern. II
is the supposition OF macy that these caves
were known TO the Indians and there art
evidences that they used ca I'm as places of
retreat during war and as burial places for
their dead. On their return trip the party
explored many smaller caves. In one of
them indications of gypsum and iron were
found. and In another, which Is not more
than 300 yards from the mouth on the side
of Lookout Mountain, they came upon a
bubtliDg spring, which Mr.. Logan say
gives unmistababls evidence of the pres.
ence of natural gas. The news which the
party brought to the city has filled the
city with degree of excitement slightly
less in intensity than that which ten days
ago followed the discovery of natural gas.
The Hundred Leading tNewspapers.